difficulty I arrived, as I thought,
at the top, but to my disappointment I had to go down a fearfully steep
gully. At it I went, and again I arrived, as I fancied, at the top, but
here again was another gully to cross, and a rise still higher. I have at
last arrived at the summit, after a deal of labour and many scratches.
This is certainly the highest mountain I have yet ascended; it has taken
me full three hours to get to the summit. The view is extensive, but not
encouraging. Central Mount Stuart bears 95 degrees. Mount Leichardt, 155
degrees 30 minutes. To the south, broken ranges with wooded plains before
them, and in the far distance, scarcely visible, appears to be a very
high mountain, a long, long way off. To the south-west the same
description of range. About thirty miles to the west is a high mount with
open country, and patches of woodland in the foreground. At the
north-west there appears to be an immense open plain with patches of
wood. To the north is another plain becoming more wooded to the
north-east. As this is the highest mountain that I have seen in Central
Australia, I have taken the liberty of naming it Mount Denison, after his
Excellency Sir William Denison, K.C.B., Governor-General. The next range
(bearing 334 degrees), being the last of the highest ones north, I have
named Mount Barkly, after his Excellency Sir Henry Barkly,
Governor-in-Chief of Victoria. When on the second highest point of this
mount, I saw a native smoke rise up in the creek below, a short distance
from where I had tied my horse. This naturally made me very anxious for
his safety, and when I descended I was rejoiced to find him safe. The
natives have been in the creek and on the mount: their tracks, which are
quite fresh, lead me to conclude that they have been running. The descent
was difficult, but I discovered a shorter route, and it has taken me two
hours to come down. Arrived at the camp at 4.30, and found all right. I
intended to have built a large cone of stones on the summit; but, when I
arrived there, I was too much exhausted to do so. I have, however,
erected a small one, placing a little paper below one of the stones, to
show that a white man has been there. I have also marked a tree "J. M.D.
S." on the creek where we are now camped. Mount Denison bears from here
249 degrees.

Sunday, 29th April, Gum Creek under Mount Denison. Latitude, 21 degrees
48 minutes. Variation, 3 degrees 20 minutes east. Mount Denison and